Close Up of the Citröen Ami
A few months ago it was already going around, the Citröen Ami, which is an absolutely cheap car for the city. And it is as spartan as it looks. At CES 2022 in Las Vegas, one was on display at the Stellantis booth, as well as at the Valeo booth.
First of all, the vehicle is really very small, just two people fit in and suitcases? Forget it! All the material is plastic. The doors, the exterior parts, the interior parts. The only thing that doesn’t seem to be plastic is a leather loop that you use to pull the door closed, more like slam it shut. And even that is probably made of imitation leather. Otherwise, no frills, just functional, a car that you can only drive in winter in a thick coat.
A closer look also reveals that the right door opens forward like a normal car door, but the driver’s left door opens backward like a suicide door. The two doors are identical and not mirrored. Again, a splash mold that Citröen could save and thus makes the vehicle cheaper.
At Valeo, I then learned that the engine you see in the skateboard platform is the same one installed in the Ami. Small, compact, sufficient for city trips with two people and no suitcase on board.
This article was also published in German.
